Theresa Church

As Interviewed by Romi Klein, March 19, 2016

"So I go to the gym all the time and I know most of the people there. And this one day I come out of the gym and there was a note on my car. And it just said "Go Away"....I was just upset but more sad. It was kind of like, "Well where am I supposed to go, this is where I am"."

Introductory Profile: About Theresa Church

My interviewee is Theresa Church. I know her because she and my mom go to the same gym and they are friends. Theresa Church is half Mexican and half Korean. She was born in Austin, Texas when her mom was just 15. She has never met her father. After Theresa was born, her mom was married and became pregnant with her sister. When Theresa was 12 years old she went to live with her aunt. She met her husband at around 14 years of age. She was married when she was 19, and she now has 5 children and one granddaughter. Theresa was raised traditionally Catholic but has since converted along side her husband to Islam.

Theresa is a very nice and caring person, she doesn’t let anything stop her. She recently did a duathlon and won second place in her division all while wearing her hijab. She is also a very accepting person and is often seen around town wearing her traditional Muslim hijab.

During the interview we discussed religious discrimination, specifically Muslim discrimination. The mood of the interview was friendly yet serious.